Photosensitive device for conveying and counting fabrics



June 11, 1968 w. BOON 3,388,260

PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE FOR CONVEYING AND COUNTING FABRICS Filed April 25,1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM BOON ATTORNEY.

June 11, 1968 w. BOON 3,38

PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE FOR CONVEYING AND COUNTING FABRICS Filed April 23,1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

26 SPRING 23 E] D U 27 22 INVENTOR WILLIAM BOON ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,388,260 PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE FOR QONVEYIWG ANDCOUNTENG FABRICS William Boon, The Towers, 215 Passaic Ava,

Passaic, NJ. 07055 Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 352,980 8 Claims. (cl.250-222 ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for counting andconveying generally light weight and bulky fabric items, such as,underwear, handkerchiefs, soiled linen, etc., for textile factories andlaundries.

The present invention is broadly concerned with certain new and usefulimprovements in counting machines, sold as an air counter. Thisinvention especially relates to such machines which are adapted for usein counting fabrics in factories manufacturing linens, handkerchiefs,underwear, etc., and in laundries, particularly for counting soiledlinen which has been returned to the laundry for washing or laundering.In accordance with a specific adaptation of the present invention, aphotoelectric cell is used in combination with conveying ducts andancillary equipment to activate a counting system which is veryeffective and accurate for tallying either newly manufactured materials,or laundry.

In most cities and communities there are numerous concerns whichspecialize in supplying office and other buildings with clean towels,linens and the like. These companies normally contract with the tenants,or other users of such buildings, to supply a predetermined number oftowels, uniforms, sheets, etc. per week or per month. These companiesusually deliver a certain number of clean towels, or similar items, atregular intervals and take back a like number of soiled towels. Thesoiled items are returned to the laundry for cleaning and washing. Theusual method employed by the laundries or linen supply companies forrecord purposes is to count the soiled towels and the like which arereturned to the laundry. It is often very difficult to accurately countthe towels returned to the laundry, in that the soiled laundry isusually received in large baskets or in large bundles. These bundles orbaskets must be untied and the pieces of linen or towels containedtherein counted before they are placed in the washing or otherprocessing machines.

When thus counting baskets or bundles of linen running up into thehundreds of thousands of pieces, many human errors are made which resultin ineflicient operation and other tirne-consuming difficulties. This isespecially true as interruptions frequently occur for the purpose ofseparating the various and sundry linens. Some of the linens requirestarching, some of it is colored and must be specially handled; and forthose and other reasons it is necessary to distribute the linen intovarious processing stations. It is therefore very desirable thateffective means be provided whereby each piece of linen is accuratelyand speedily counted when returned to the laundry for washing, thuseliminating losses occurring due to mistakes in counting. Also, by theuse of accurate counting means, a great saving of labor, time andexpense is effected.

In order to overcome, or mitigate, this counting problem, many proposalsand different types of techniques and machines have been suggested andused. However, prior techniques and machines have not been entirelysuccessful because, among other things, of their inability to count verysmall and/or light articles and fine fabrics. For instance, in some ofthe machines the articles or fabrics are 3,388,260 Patented June 11,1968 "ice passed along a belt conveyor, and upon striking a gate ortrigger mechanism, the pieces are counted. This works satisfactorilywith relatively heavy pieces of material, but for light materials, suchas worn napkins, these machines and mechanisms very frequently miscount.Another type of machine known in the art counts the articles by passingthe articles between a support such as a conveyor and a finger elementthat, on being lifted or otherwise moved, registers the count. For worntowels, napkins, and other articles of irregular shape which have unevenupper surfaces and hence varying overall thicknesses or heights. Theabove lifting of a sensing finger is unsatisfactory and at times resultsin very inaccurate tallies.

In still another type of counting machine, such as a laundry tallyingmachine, the laundry articles pass over a projection or series ofprojections which function as the trigger mechanism of a countingmachine. However, here difficulties are encountered due to the fact thatthe articles become lodged or wedged upon the triggers, if single, orbetween the several projections constituting a multiple trigger. Thereis 'also difficulty due to the chattering or the vibration of themechanism as it continues to oscillate or vibrate under the applicationand consequent removal of an impulse from the trigger.

The photoelectric cell counting machine of the present invention is verysensitive and will count very accurately and speedily all articlesincluding extremely light articles and fine fabrics. Also, no operatingdifficulties are encountered since relatively few moving mechanicalparts are involved. The present invention provides a counting machinethat is extremely excellent and satisfactory for use with articlesranging in size or mass from that of small handkerchiefs to oversizedbedsheets, without the necessity of adjusting the machine for variationsin size or mass of these fabrics. The articles being counted will notlodge on any part of the mechanism and will readily pass over and awayfrom the trigger member of the counting machine which trigger member isa light beam.

A very desirable feature of the counting mechanism of the presentinvention is that there exists no possibility that the fabrics, nomatter how fine and delicate, will be marred or damaged by the countingmechanism. No fraying or pulling of threads can possibly occur.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a machinefor counting linen and fabrics which is very sensitive and which willeffectively, accurately, and rapidly count pieces of light weight aswell as heavy and irregular material. Another object of the presentinvention is to provide an accurate machine for counting linen which isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture and foolproof in its operation.

Another object is to provide a tallying mechanism which, under nocircumstances, will mar or damage the fabrics being counted.

Further objects will appear from the following description in which apreferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in detail inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatical view of the entire apparatus and shows theoverall method of handling the" fabrics and the positioning of thecounting device.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatical sketch of a photoelectric cell counter.

FIGURE 3 illustrates in some detail a particular adaptation of theapparatus whereby effective and accurate results are secured.

FIGURE 4 shows a plurality of washing machines connected by a manifoldarrangement.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1, incoming laundry, such as towels,sheets and the like are positioned or placed on table 1 which issupported by suitable leg elements and contains side baffles 2 and 3. Ablower 5 forces air through ducts 6 past the lower end of hopper 4 andthrough flexible duct 10 and into a separation unit wherein theconveying air is separated from the conveyed laundry. This is done bymeans of having a perforated type of cylindrical element 11 within ametal sleeve 12. The separated air is removed by a conduit 13 while theconveyed laundry is removed from the end of the metal sleeve 12 andpositioned in any desirable location or machine such as in a washingmachine or in a plurality of washing machines 16 and 17 by using asuitable manifold arrangement 14 (see FIG. 4).

Thus, in operation an operator feeds soiled laundry from the table tothe top of the hopper. The laundry passes down hopper 4 and into ducts 7and 8. The laundry flows through duct 8 past photocell 9 wherein theunit is activated by interruption of a light beam. This beam functionsto activate a counting device which may be conventional. Photocell 9comprises a light source 9A which functions to project a light beamacross the interior of duct 8 to photocell 9B.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 2, a light source 9A is shownpositioned on one side of duct 8 while pick-up 9B is positioned on theother side of duct 8. The hookup is conventional, having a potentialsource 20, a resistor 21, an amplifier 27, a coil 24 to ground 25 and acounter 22. An operation arm 26 is pulled down by coil 24, against thetension of spring 23, thereby causing the counter to move when the lightbeam is interrupted. When the light beam is continuous the arm 26remains stationary. Satisfactory photocell hookups are described, forexample, in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Karl R. Spangenberg,1957, McGraw-Hill & Co., N.Y., and in Basic Industrial ElectronicsControl, Ruiter & Murphy, 1962, published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston,N.Y.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 3, similar elements with respect toFIGURE 1 are similarly numbered. Thus the laundry of linen is placed ontable 1, then passed into hopper 4 and into duct 8 wherein the same isconveyed along duct 8 past photocell 9 by means of blower 5. Aparticularly unique adaptation of the present invention is venturi tubewhich is positioned below the lower end of the outlet of hopper 4. Tube15 terminates at the end of hopper 4. By this construction a highvelocity jet is positioned underneath the linen as it flows into duct 8which keeps linen in a position so that it will pass along and interruptthe light rays between the source and the photocell. This eliminatespossible errors which might otherwise result if this feature were notadapted in the manner as illlustrated.

The size of the ducts and the blower ment may be varied appreciably,depending upon the particular service job for which it is designed. Forexample, one design may have duct 6 about 5 inches in diameter, duct 7about 7 inches in diameter, and duct 8 about 5 inches in diameter. Thediameter of venturi 15 may be in the range of from 2 to 4 inches. Asatisfactory table length is about 28 inches in width and about 42inches in length.

The blower 5 should be able to distribute approximately about 1 pound oflaundry for each cubic feet of air per minute.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved counting assembly for counting fabric material whichcomprises in combination (1) a feed hopper for receiving fabric materialpositioned above a (2) conveying duct, (3) means for blowing an airstream and other equip- 4 through said conveying duct, (4) a photocellpositioned along a side of said conveying duct, light source means fortransmitting a light beam to said photocell across the inside of saidconveying duct, (5) a counter in electrical circuit with said photocelland which is actuated by said photocell when said light beam isinterrupted by the passage of said fabric material within said duct pastsaid photocell.

2. Assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein the lower end of said feedhopper is connected to said conveying duct at a point near the startingend thereof, and said means for blowing an air stream through said ductcomprises a blower positioned ahead of the point at which the lower endof said feed hopper is in communication with said duct.

3. Assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein (6) a venturi is positionedwithin said duct immediately beneath the point at which the lower end ofsaid hopper is in communication with said duct.

4. Assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source means is onone side of said duct and said photocell comprises a light sensitiveelement which is on the opposite side of said duct.

5. A conveying and counting system for rolled and non-planar, lightweight fabrics comprising a receiving table for the rolled andnon-planar fabrics, a hopper in a corner of said table, a conveyor airduct, a blower having a venturi opening forming an air stream connectedat one end of said duct, said hopper feeding into said duct adjacent themouth of said venturi, a light source and a photoelectric cellpositioned on opposite sides of said duct counting substantially eachpiece of rolled and nonplanar fabric as it passes on said air stream.

6. A conveying and counting system for light Weight fabrics as set forthin claim 5 wherein a flexible hose is connected and forms an extensionof said air duct, and a separator at the other end of the hose wherebythe air stream is separated from said light weight fabrics and thefabrics placed in a depository.

7. A conveying and counting system for light Weight fabrics as set forthin claim 6, wherein the fabrics are bulky soiled laundry, a washingmachine connected to the extension of said air duct, and said receivingtable for feeding into the mouth of the hopper is approximately 28 x42", said air duct is in the range of 57 in diameter, and the venturidiameter about 2'4", and a blower able to distribute approximately onepound of laundry for each 20 cubic feet of air per minute, and depositthe bulky soiled laundry in said washing machine.

8. Assembly as defined by claim 3 wherein said fabric material is lightweight, irregularly shaped, laundry, and wherein said venturi is sopositioned in spaced relationship wvith said hopper, said duct, and saidphotocell, that said light weight, irregularly shaped, laundry will becarried by the conveying airstream as it passes by said photocell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,817,237 12/1957 Stevens 250-218X 2,834,450 5/1958 Govin 250-223 X 3,081,996 3/1963 Hajos 271-743,127,505 3/1964 Gustavson. 3,178,178 4/1965 Zeutschel 209--111.5 X3,243,181 3/1966 Lyman 271-74 X 3,248,551 4/1966 Frommer 250--2l8 WALTERSTOLWEIN, Primary Examiner,

